— 29.09.15

by Simon Spode

An innovative tool launched by the Sheffield University Management School in partnership with Microsoft is helping organisations to reduce the environmental impact of their supply chains.

The new Cloud based tool SCEnAT+ (Supply Chain Environmental Analysis Tool), provides both public and private sector organisations with the ability to better understand the environmental impact of their supply chain.

SCEnAT+ has been implemented in various organisations to help reduce their carbon emissions and pinpoint efficiency improvement opportunities within their supply chains. By running an analysis of a supply chain and presenting a carbon “heat-map”, SCEnAT+ provides recommendations for reducing the carbon footprint of the supply chain.

The pioneering tool enables companies to perform improved life cycle analysis, better life cycle costing, supply chain benchmarking and evaluation of a plethora of supply chain environmental impact on the ecosystem and wider economy, leading to increased revenues and decreased CO2 emission.

Professor Lenny Koh, Director of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre, said: “Microsoft’s Futures programme is the ideal platform for us to base the SCEnAT+ on as it will enable its scalability, interoperability and reconfigurability.

“We look forward to working with Microsoft on further new developments in the future. Our goal is embedding sustainability conditions in all decision making across supply chains around the world.”

Mike Davies, Head of Higher Education Business from Microsoft UK, said: “We are pleased to announce this new partnership with the University of Sheffield and its Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre.

“The SCEnAT+ has the ability to provide great benefits to organisations in reducing the cost and environmental impact of their supply chains, and it also showcases the abilities of our Cloud services.”

Dr Kenji Takeda, Solutions Architect and Technical Manager from Microsoft Research, added: “The future of research collaboration will be accelerated via Azure Research and Azure Marketplace which provide a rapid innovation environment supported by Cloud technology. SCEnAT+ technology is based on Azure infrastructure. We are looking forward to our next phase of collaboration with the University of Sheffield.”

“We look forward to working with Microsoft on further new developments in the future. Our goal is embedding sustainability conditions in all decision making across supply chains around the world”

Dr Lenny Koh

Companies that have used SCEnAT+ include:

• Muntons, the UK’s leading malt supplier who exports their products globally it reduced their CO2 emissions by 650 tonnes, following recommendations identified in SCEnAT+.

• Northern Foods, which has managed to save 2.4 million road kilometres by implementing a Virtual Meeting Policy as recommended through the use of SCEnAT+.

David Clarkson, Managing Director of DBL Logistics said: “I am proud to say that DBL Logistics played a part in the SCEnAT+ development and for any companies involved the tool offers a unique opportunity to gain a new perspective of their supply chain and identify opportunities for both carbon and financial savings.”